Game board and pieces



Dec. 6, 1955 c. M. DUNHAM 2,726,037

GAME BOARD AND PIECES Filed March 16, 1955 HLILI HIHHIHHHI 22 2s v 2 0 6 2 2. R95. 2 2;, 4, F29, 5.

United States Patent OfiFice Patented Dec. 6, 1955 2,726,087 GAME BOARD AND PIECES 7 Carl M. Dunham, New Milford, Conn.

Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,679

Claims. (Cl. 273130) This invention relates to a game of the type comprising a game board of a specific design and cards or pieces of a specific design to match up with the board design in certain specific patterns to be attained as the objects of the game.

It is an object of the invention to provide a game of this type which will have a sustained interest to the players and will require skill in selecting the plays which will be most apt to secure the desired results and win.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the board, and

Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive are plan views of the different pieces or cards used for playing the game.

The design of the board is shown in Fig. 1, and this may be mounted on any suitable support, such, for example, as heavy paper, cardboard, a wooden board, or other support. The lining used on different surfaces of both the board and pieces or cards is to indicate different colors, those used being for red, green and yellow, it being understood that these specific colors are used merely by way of example as any desired colors may be used.

The board design used is a rectangle, specifically preferably a square, comprising a central field 11, with colored borders 12 and 13. The opposite borders 12 are of the same color, that used as an example being red, and the other opposite borders 13 are of a different or contrasting color, such, for example, as green. There are also diagonal bands 12 extending in alignment with but terminating somewhat short of the diagonal corners of the board, and preferably of another color contrasting with the border colors, such, for example, as yellow. If desired, the corner squares 14 may be of the same color.

The central field 11 is divided into rows of rectangles, preferably squares if the field 11 is square, so there will be the same number of rows of these squares running between the opposite borders of the same colors. These squares 17 to 19 are outlined by the lines 15 and 16, the lines 15 running between the borders 12 at right angles thereto and parallel to the borders 13, while lines 16 run between borders 13 at right angles thereto and parallel to borders 12. If desired, these lines may be colored the same as the borders between which they extend. Thus in the example shown, lines 15 would be red and lines 16 green. The diagonal bands 12 are therefore diagonal to the squares 18 and 18a and cross in the central square 19, but as they terminate short of the corners 14 they leave a plain square 17 not having a diagonal band at each corner.

The pieces to be played by arranging on the board in determined patterns or arrangements are shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. These may be cards of stiff paper, cardboard, pieces of wood or the like, and each is of substantially the same size as the squares 17 to 19 of the board. Although the number of pieces may vary, there are preferably forty-nine cards in all, each having opposite colored borders corresponding with the borders 12 and 13 of the board. That is, they each have opposite borders 20, in this case red, and the other opposite borders 21 being green. There is only one piece or card 22 with a double diagonal band 23 corresponding to the central square 19 of the board. There are four cards 24 with the single diagonal band 25 running between the lower left and upper right hand corners, enough to complete the diagonal row comprising the squares 18a and the central square 19, and four cards 26 with the diagonal band 27 running between the lower right hand and upper left hand corners, enough to complete the diagonal row comprising the squares 18 and central square 19. Thus there are forty remaining cardsZtl each having only the contrasting colored borders 20 and 21.

Although the rules and method of playing may be varied, they are preferably as follows, each card being played on and covering one of the squares 17 to 20 of the board, as indicated.

The game may be played by either two or four players. If it is played by two persons, they sit at right angles to each other and facing the board. If played by four per sons, the players facing each other are partners.

The forty-nine cards are shuflled and dealt face down among the players. The player receiving the extra card starts the play. The cards are held face down in a stack by each player, and each player turns up the top card at his turn to play. The player receiving the last piece or card distributed starts the play.

The cards must be played so that the colored edges and diagonal lines on the cards coincide with the colored bands or borders on the board. No card may be played unless at-least one edge of the card contacts a border of the board of the same color or the same colored edge of another card already properly placed on the board. Should a player be unable to play his card, he loses his turn and places the card face down at the bottom of his stack without divulging its identity.

It is a basic factor of the game that a piece or card to be played must be played with its matching edge to the corresponding border of the board or to the corresponding edge of another piece or card already properly placed on the board. In other words, a common piece or card (that is, one without the diagonal band or cross) must be the first one to be played and can only be played against a border of the board. Should the first piece to be turned up be a piece having a diagonal band or the center piece, it cannot be played. A piece with the diagonal band might possibly be played on the next round but it is not likely. The center piece could not be played for several plays. In other words, border pieces or cards must be played first to provide a boarder to which the subsequent pieces turned up can be properly abutted. Consequently it becomes apparent that a player cannot always make a play, and if he cannot the piece is placed at the bottom of the stack to be used later.

It is the object of the game that each player or team complete as many runs as possible along the vertical parallel lines extending from their respective borders. Each player or team should also attempt to complete the diagonals along the colored lines.

In scoring, the player or team attaining the highest score wins. Points are scored as follows:

Completion of a run by a player or team along any one of his or their respective columns counts five points. Should the run he completed by an opponent no score is registered for either side.

Completion of a diagonal run counts five points for that player or team, regardless of direction of the diagonal.

The playing of the center or crisscross card counts ten points, with the possible additional score of five points for each diagonal or run in the players column thereby completed.

Upon. play of the last card in the hand of any player, the game is ended, and further score is rendered to the player or team thereby going out, at the: rate of five points or each card in the hands of the opponents, with the exception of the crisscross card which counts ten points.

You are now ready for the next game. The player to the left of the dealer for the previous game now becomes the dealer. The first card is then dealt to the person on the dealers left.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A game comprising a board having four sides with adjacent sides at right angles to each other with a border of one color on each of two opposite sides and a border of a contrasting color on each of the two other sides, said board being provided with spaced lines extending between each pair of opposite sides and parallel to the other sides forming a series of rows of squares between each pair of opposite sides, and a series of cards of substantially the size and shape of the squares and each having two pairs of opposed borders respectively of colors corresponding to those of the borders of the board.

2. A game comprising a rectangular board having a border of one color along each of two opposite sides and a border of a contrasting color along each of the two opposite sides, a series of laterally spaced lines joining the opposite sides at substantially right angles thereto forming a plurality of rows of rectangles extending between the opposite sides, a diagonal band of a color contrasting to the other two colors in alignment with each pair of the diagonal corners, and a series of cards including a plurality of cards of substantially the size and shape of the rectangles and each having two pairs of opposite borders respectively of colors coiresponding to those of the board, and certain of said cards having a diagonal band corresponding to one of the diagonal bands of the board.

3. A game comprising a rectangular board having opposite parallel sides each having a border of a given color and opposite parallel sides between the first sides each having a border of a color contrasting to that of the first borders, spaced parallel lines connecting each pair of opposite borders forming rows of rectangular spaces between the borders, and a series of playing pieces of substantially the size and shape of the spaces and each provided with two pairs of opposite borders with each pair of a color contrasting with the color of the other pair and respectively corresponding with those of the borders of the board.

4. A game comprising a rectangular board having opposite parallel sides each having a border of a given color and opposite parallel sides between the first sides each having a border of a color contrasting to that of the first borders, spaced parallel lines connecting each pair of opposite borders forming rows of rectangular spaces between the borders, said board being also provided with diagonal colored bands crossing at the center of the board, and a series of playing pieces of substantially the size and shape of the spaces each provided with two pairs of opposite borders respectively of colors corresponding with the colors of the borders on the board, and a number of said pieces equal in number to the spaces across which the diagonals extend having corresponding diagonal bands.

5. A game comprising a rectangular board having opposite parallel sides each having a border of a given color and opposite parallel sides between the first sides each having a border of a color contrasting to that of the first borders, spaced parallel lines connecting each pair of opposite borders forming rows of rectangular spaces between. the borders, said board being also provided with a pair of colored bands extending diagonally of the board crossing in the space at the center of the board and diagonally of a line of spaces extending diagonally from the corners of the central space, and a series of playing pieces of substantially the size and shape of the spaces each provided with borders respectively of colors corresponding with those of the board, one of said pieces having crossed diagonal bands corresponding with those of the central space of the board and other pieces having a single diagonal band corresponding with the spaces having the single diagonal bands.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,097,052 Strey Oct. 26, 1937 2,162,876 Barton June 20, 1939 2,549,708 Post Apr. 17, 1951 2,585,268 Olsen Feb. 12, 1952 2,610,060 Powell Sept. 9, 1952 

